Wheel-tire.



F. VITALI.

WHEEL TIRE. I A IEPLIOATION FILED NAILS, 1911.

1,010,539. i Patented Dec.5,1911.

Witnesses Inventor fizz/7m:

I Attorneys FRANK VITAL-I, OF HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA.

WHEEL-TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Application filed March 6, 1911. Serial No. 612,611.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK VITALI, citizen of the United States, residingat Healdsburg, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, haveinvented a new and useful \Vheel-Tire, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved tirefor vehicle wheels, the tire being designed to take the place of theordinary pneumatic tire and being so constructed that it may be readilyapplied to the ordinary wheel rim adapted for the support of a tiredevice.

One aim of the invent-ion is to provide a tire which willnot present thedisadvantage of being liable to puncture and which will include in itsstructure, a plurality of segments which may be selectively removed fromthe body or base of the tire and replaced; These segments are of springsteel and consequently will yield in the same manner as anordinary'pneumatic tire, they being in cross section of substantiallythe same contour as such a tire.

As stated, the invention contemplates that the tire shall be applicableto the rim of a wheel arranged to carry an ordinary pneumatic tire andconsequently the application of the tire of the present invention to avehicle wheel will not render necessary any change in the structure ofthe wheel.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation andpartly in section of a vehicle wheel carrying a tire constructed inaccordance'with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a perspective View indetail of one of the cushion segments of the tire.

In the drawings, there is illustrated an ordinary wheel such as is usedupon automobiles, the hub of the wheel being indicated by the numeral 5,the spokes by the numeral 6 and the rim by the numeral 7, the rim be ingof that type known as a clencher rim.

The tire embodying the present invention includes in its structure, anintegral annular base 8 which is of the proper diameter to fit snuglyupon the clencher rim 7 between the flanges thereof and is designed tobe held uponthe rim by these flanges in the same manner as an ordinaryrubber tire is held. In its outer surface, the annular base 8 is formedwith a circumferential series of sockets in the nature of transverselyextending grooves 9. These grooves 9 extend entirely across the base 8.

The tire proper is made up of a plurality of cushion segments which arepreferably of spring steel and substantially circular in-cross sectionin their body portion, the said body portion being indicated by thenumeral 10. Each section has its body 10 formed with a base portion 11which at its ends projects beyond the body whereby to form lateralshoulders 12. The base portion 11 is of a width from front to rear thesame as the length of the body of the segment at the base thereof sothat the ends of the bodywill be in plane coincident with the front andrear edges of thev base portions. Inasmuch as the segments are assembledend to end about the rim of the wheel, their said ends will lie in planeradiating from the axis of the wheel. Also, while the segments arepreferably accurately fitted end to end, they are not connected in thisrelation and may yield independently as the.

wheel travels over the ground. Preferably, the treads of the segmentsare thickened as indicated by the numeral 13. Each base portion 11 isformed upon its underside with a transversely extending tongue 14 andthe tongues of the several segments pro-' vided, are inserted into theseats or grooves 9 in the annular base 8 of the tire in the mannerillustrated clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. These tongues are of alength equal to the width of the base portion of the segments and are ofa thickness less than the width of' the said base portion. In order tohold the segments in assembled relation about the base 8, there areprovided split bands 15 which are fitted around the shoulder 12 of thesegments at each side thereof and clamped in'place at their ends as at16. These bands serve to firmly clamp the segments to the base and alsoserve to prevent relative lateral displacement of the segment-s. Inorder to hold the segments as a series against displacement, there areprovided a plurality of clips 17 secured to the base 8 and projectingoutwardly radially from their point of attachment and abutting againsttwo or more of the segment bases, at their ends. To protect the metal.segments from the elements and to render the wheel as nearly noiselessas is practical, a covering or sheath 18 is fitted.

over the entire number of segments and secured at its edges as at 19 tothe sides of the annular base 8.

From the foregoing description of the invention it Will be readilyunderstood that there is provided a Wheel tire made up of a plurality ofresilient segments Which are interchangeable and readily replaceableselectively.

What is claimed is:

A Wheel tire comprising an annular base formed with a circumferentialseries of radial sockets, a plurality of separate cushion segmentsformed each with a transverse tongue and lateral shoulders, the tonguesfitting in the sockets, means engaging with the shoulders for holdingthe segments in position, and an outer tube surrounding and helddistended at all points by said segments.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

FRANK VITALI.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. DAY, EDWARD H. GUILLm.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G.

